The flanks of the Stromboli volcano north of Sicily spews lava towards the sea after one of Europe's most active volcanoes churned into activity. Stromboli had recently been placed under heightened surveillance after scientists registered higher seismic readings. Photograph: Mario Laporta/AFP/Getty Images

Nashville Predators defenseman and captain Shea Weber, center, skates a sprint as the team practices on the ice for the first time at NHL hockey training camp this season in Nashville, Tenn. The shortened, 48-game season begins Saturday. Photograph: Mark Humphrey/AP

Dutch violinist Janine Jansen performs with 125 little violists, after winning the Concertgebouw Prize at the official start of the anniversary year of the Concertgebouw. This year, the Concertgebouw celebrates it's 125 years of existence. Photograph: Bas Czerwinski/AFP/Getty Images

Russian Boris Gadasin competes on his G-Force Proto during the Stage 9 of the Dakar 2013 between Tucuman and Cordoba, Argentina. The rally takes place in Peru, Argentina and Chile from January 5 to 20. Photograph: Franck RANCK FIFE/AFP/Getty Images

Coca grower women from Chapare region show the coca leaf in the central city of Cochabamba, where Bolivians gathered for a day dedicated to the coca chewing or "acullicu", which is considered a cultural tradition. Photograph: ABI Handout/EPA

French soldiers from 2nd RIMA, arriving from France, stand at the 101 military airbase near Bamako, before their deployment in north of Mali. France is using air and ground power in a joint offensive with Malian soldiers against hardline Islamist groups controlling northern Mali. Photograph: Eric Feferberg/AFP/Getty Images

Israeli women stand behind a curtain during an annual pilgrimage to the gravesite of Rabbi Yisrael Abuhatzeira, a Moroccan-born sage and kabbalist also known as the Baba Sali, in the southern town of Netivot. Photograph: Amir Cohen/Reuters

Nelba Marquez Greene and her husband Jimmy Green grieve over the loss of their daughter Ana Grace Marquez Green (in photo) during a press conference on the one month anniversary of the Newtown elementary school massacre in Newtown, Connecticut. Photograph: John Moore/Getty Images

Ol' china plates: A seller waits for customers in a ceramics shop in village of Gzhel, Moscow Region. The style and decoration of these ceramics has been produced since 1802. Photograph: Maxim Shipenkov/EPA

A young girl runs to her father with a farewell message as he marches with fellow Polish navy personnel during a farewell ceremony for his ship Xawery Czernicki in Swinoujscie, Poland. Photograph: Marcin Bielecki/EPA

A Bearded Tit perches on a reed amongst the reedbeds in Hyde Park in London. The birds, a pair spotted for the first time last week, are a rare sight as this species has never before been seen in inner London. Since their arrival twitchers have flocked to the area for a rare glimpse of the birds. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

People run away as a South African police armoured vehicle approaches a road-block during a strike by farmworkers, in Villiersdorp, a small farming town north of Cape Town, South Africa. Photograph: Rodger Bosch/AFP/Getty Images

A French military armoured personnel carrier is loaded on to a Royal Air Force C-17 aircraft at Evreux in northern France. Britain is lending logistical support to France as it sends troops and military equipment to Mali. Photograph: Andrew Winning/reuters

The 2014 Chevrolet Corvette C7 under wraps before being revealed to the media on the General Motors stand at the 2013 North American international auto show at the Cobo Center in Detroit, Michigan. Photograph: Bill Pugliano/Getty Images

Cubans queue outside a migration office to request new passports in Havana this morning. A law allowing Cubans to travel abroad without special exit visas took effect on the communist-ruled island for the first time in half a century. Photograph: Adalberto Roque/AFP/Getty Images

Former Libyan Prime Minister Baghdadi al-Mahmoudi sits behind bars during the third hearing of his trial, at a courthouse in Tripoli. Al-Mahmoudi faces charges of involvement in crimes under the Gaddafi rule. Photograph: Sabri Elmhedwi/EPA

Tunisian people shout slogans during a demonstration on the second anniversary of the uprising that ousted President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, in the Avenue Habib Bourguiba in Tunis. Photograph: Mohamed Messara/EPA

Tourists brave cold and snow as they look at remains of the Berlin Wall at Potsdamer Platz in Berlin. As in London, the temperature dropped over night and snow followed at daybreak in the German capital. Photograph: Odd Andersen/AFP/Getty Images

They're on the edge of their seats...tennis fans have a little lie down while watching the men's first round match between David Goffin of Belgium and Fernando Verdasco of Spain during day one of the 2013 Australian Open at Melbourne Park. Photograph: Julian Finney/Getty Images

Dogwalkers in Caldecote, Cambridgeshire got a light dusting this morning as the first wave of snow fell across most of the country. A second heavier band will is forecast over central and eastern England later today.
Read more on the weather. Photograph: Chris Radburn/PA

Moroccan-born Karima El-Mahroug, who is better known by her nickname'Ruby the heart stealer' arrives to testify at court in Milan. The exotic dancer is to give evidence at the sex trial against Italy's Silvio Berlusconi. Photograph: Giuseppe Aresu/AFP/Getty Images

Rain isn't dampening the spirits of these women following their traditional Coming of Age ceremony at Tokyo Disneyland. Young people across Japan are honoured with the celebration when they reach the age of 20. Photograph: Koji Sasahara/AP

In other festival news, a Hindu pilgrim goes in with a splash at Sangam, the confluence of the rivers Ganges, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati, during the royal bath on Makar Sankranti at the start of the Maha Kumbh Mela in Allahabad, India. Millions are expected to take part in the religious congregation that lasts more than 50 days on the banks of Sangam during the Maha Kumbh Mela which falls every 12th year. Photograph: Kevin Frayer/AP

Devotees queue to collect ingredients for the preparation of ritual rice dishes to offer to the Hindu Sun God during Pongal celebrations at a slum in Mumbai, India. Pongal is a harvest festival celebrated by Tamils across the country. Photograph: Danish Siddiqi/Reuters

Chinese paramilitary police block access to the residence of a construction firm boss after a group of up to 50 migrant workers stormed past security at the Qijiayuan Diplomatic Compound in Beijing to protest against what they claim is an unpaid new year bonus. Labour disputes are common before Chinese New Year when migrant workers are paid their full years' work in a lump sum before heading home to their famillies in the outer provinces of the country. Photograph: Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images